Nestable trays with minimum axial spacing

ABSTRACT

A molded container of solid continuous construction having a floor and contiguous upstanding sidewalls angling outward and upward to a surrounding upper lip. Below the upper lip the floor and sidewalls surround an inner cavity adapted to receive food. The sidewalls include at least three outwardly-directed lugs that are thicker from an inner surface to an outer surface thereof than a nominal wall thickness of the remainder of the sidewalls. The sidewall at the location of each lug having an inner surface which is contiguous and uninterrupted relative to the inner surface of adjacent portions of the sidewall. Consequently, a first container may be stacked and nested within a second container such that the lugs on the first container contact the inner surface of the second container at the location of the lugs on the second container and maintain a predetermined axial spacing between the first and second containers.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 17/513,704 filedOct. 28, 2021, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated hereinby reference.

NOTICE OF COPYRIGHTS AND TRADE DRESS

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. This patent document may showand/or describe matter which is or may become trade dress of the owner.The copyright and trade dress owner has no objection to the facsimilereproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure as it appears in thePatent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwisereserves all copyright and trade dress rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND Field

This disclosure relates to tray containers and, in particular, to traycontainers that can be stacked in various orientations while maintaininga minimum axial spacing.

Description of the Related Art

One area where the use of tray containers has become widespread is inthe food packaging industry, in particular for meat products.Accordingly, it is common for these food containers to serve as the enddisplay package in which the product is presented for sale to thecustomer in a tray with plastic wrap over the top lip. Pressed traycontainers have been used in numerous environments for many years, withthe containers having a common configuration that allows nested stackingof the containers. Conventional pressed paperboard trays and platecontainers, for example, may have downwardly and inwardly convergingsidewalls that are contiguous with a flat bottom wall, and with aradially extending lip along its top edge. This configuration allowspressed plates or trays to be nested in a stack of trays of the sameconfiguration after formation for shipping and prior to filling withfood.

One useful characteristic of tray containers is the ability to stackwith uniform axial spacing between the container parts so that whilestacked, adjacent parts do not become jammed or wedged together.Maintaining uniform gap spacing is also important to allow high-speedautomated packaging equipment to separate and position individualcontainers from a nested group for automatic filling. Various rib or lugstructures have been employed with lids to provide the requisitespacing, see e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,826,039 and 5,377,861.

One means for maintaining container spacing includes molded lugs whichproject inwardly or outwardly relative to the floor or skirt walls andcontact the next adjacent container to keep the two containers axiallyspaced. However, if the lugs in two adjacent containers are mirrorimages of each other when nested they also nest, thus defeating thepurpose of the lugs. To solve that issue, the lugs may be formed in anon-symmetric fashion and adjacent trays rotated so that the lugs ineach do not align. This is a cumbersome process which adds expense.

Despite numerous attempts at providing nesting tray containers whichmaintain a certain axial spacing, there remains a need for trays that donot need special handling and can be stacked in various orientations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to exemplary embodiments, trays are provided which may benested and maintain a minimum spacing between individual trays to enableease of separation.

One embodiment of a food container system includes a wet press moldedcontainer of solid continuous construction of fibrous material. Thecontainer has a floor and contiguous upstanding sidewalls anglingoutward and upward to a surrounding upper lip. Each sidewall has atleast one lug that projects from an adjacent portion of the respectivesidewall and is thicker from a projecting surface to a base surface onan opposite face of the sidewall than a nominal wall thickness of theadjacent portion of the respective sidewall. The floor and sidewallssurround an inner cavity below the upper lip adapted to receive food.Each lug has a lateral width of at least 0.2 inches and no more than 1inch, wherein a first molded container may be stacked within a secondmolded container such that the lugs on the first container contact theinner surface of the second container at the location of the lugs on thesecond container and maintain a predetermined axial spacing between thefirst and second containers.

The food container may be rectangular with four sidewalls each having atleast one of the lugs. Each of the sidewalls may have two of the lugsspaced apart closer to adjacent corners than each other. In oneembodiment, each of the sidewalls has two of the lugs, wherein a firstpair of sidewalls opposite one another have lugs with base surfaceswhich are contiguous and uninterrupted relative to the surface ofadjacent portions of the sidewall. Also, a second pair of sidewallsopposite one another have lugs with base surfaces which are indented orstepped relative to the surface of adjacent portions of the sidewall.

A second food container system includes a wet press molded rectangularcontainer of solid continuous construction of fibrous material. Thecontainer has a floor and four contiguous upstanding sidewalls anglingoutward and upward to a surrounding upper lip. The floor and sidewallssurrounding an inner cavity below the upper lip adapted to receive food.The sidewalls include at least one outwardly projecting lug in eachsidewall that are each thicker from an inner surface to an outer surfacethereof than a nominal wall thickness of adjacent sidewalls. Each lughas a lateral width of at least 0.2 inches and no more than 1 inch. Afirst molded container may be stacked within a second molded containersuch that the lugs on the first container contact the inner surface ofthe second container at the location of the lugs on the second containerand maintain a predetermined axial spacing between the first and secondcontainers.

In the second food container system, each of the sidewalls has two ofthe lugs spaced apart closer to adjacent corners than each other. In oneversion, the lugs are spaced apart from adjacent corners no less than ⅕and no greater than ⅓ of the total dimension of the respective sidewallfrom the corner. At least some of the lugs may be positioned midway up acorresponding sidewall, though the lugs may alternatively be positionedat a lower end of a corresponding sidewall and form part of the floor.

In the second food container system, each of the sidewalls may have twoof the lugs, wherein a first pair of sidewalls opposite one another havelugs with inner surfaces which are contiguous and uninterrupted relativeto the inner surface of adjacent portions of the sidewall. Also, asecond pair of sidewalls opposite one another may have lugs with innersurfaces which are indented or stepped relative to the inner surface ofadjacent portions of the sidewall.

In one version, the lugs in either system project outward from thesidewalls, though the lugs may alternatively project inward from thesidewalls. Preferably, each lug is teardrop shaped with a mass weightedtoward a lower end.

The thickness t of each of the lugs in either system may be betweenabout 3-5 times the nominal wall thickness of the sidewalls. Inaddition, the nominal wall thickness of the sidewalls may be betweenabout 0.6 mm and 0.7 mm. Further, each lug may have a lateral width ofbetween 0.2-0.5 inches.

Other features and characteristics of the present invention, as well asthe methods of operation, functions of related elements of structure andthe combination of parts, and economies of manufacture, will become moreapparent upon consideration of the following description and theappended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all ofwhich form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts in the various figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above of an exemplary rectangular foodtray container of the present application, and FIG. 2 is a perspectiveview of the food tray container from below;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are top and bottom plan views, respectively, of therectangular food tray container;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view through the center of the food tray containeracross a width dimension, taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3A, and FIG. 4Ais an enlargement of one sidewall thereof;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view through the center of the food tray containeracross a length dimension, taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3B, and FIG. 5Ais an enlargement of one sidewall thereof;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a plurality of food tray containers acrossa length dimension stacked and nested, and FIG. 6A is an enlargement ofthe stacked sidewalls thereof;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view from above of an alternative rectangularfood tray container of the present application, and FIG. 8 is aperspective view of the food tray container from below;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are top and bottom plan views, respectively, of thealternative rectangular food tray container;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view through the center of the alternative foodtray container across a width dimension, taken along line 10-10 of FIG.9A, and FIG. 10A is an enlargement of one sidewall thereof;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view through the center of the alternative foodtray container across a length dimension, taken along line 11-11 of FIG.9B, and FIG. 11A is an enlargement of one sidewall thereof;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a plurality of alternative food traycontainers across a length dimension stacked and nested, and FIG. 12A isan enlargement of the stacked sidewalls thereof;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a plurality of alternative food traycontainers across a width dimension stacked and nested, and FIG. 13A isan enlargement of the stacked sidewalls thereof;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view from above of a still further alternativerectangular food tray container of the present application, and FIG. 15is a perspective view of the food tray container from below; and

FIG. 16 is a sectional view through the center of a further alternativefood tray container across a length dimension, and FIG. 16A is asectional view of a plurality of the alternative food tray containersacross a length dimension stacked and nested.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present application provides an improved food storage tray that maybe stacked and nested with a plurality of identical food storage trayswhile maintaining a minimum axial spacing therebetween. The food storagetrays illustrated herein have a floor connected to contiguous sidewallsextending around a continuous periphery, with no vent holes in thetrays. However, vent holes are not excluded in certain situations. Thesidewalls are relatively short in height so that the trays are somewhatshallow, preferable for containing meat products. However, the conceptsdescribed herein could be utilized in a variety of sizes and shapes ofcontainers, and the claim should not be considered limited to shallowtrays. Finally, two exemplary rectangular storage trays are illustratedand described herein as typical for use in the food industry. However,the rectangular peripheral shape is but one configuration, and the traysmay be square, round, or various other polygonal or geometric shapes.

Generally, embodiments of the present invention are stackable,denestable trays, plates or other containers having features thatfacilitate denesting or manual separation of the containers whenstacked. The embodiments described in this specification are generallyreferred to as “containers,” which includes trays, plates, and otherstackable products. The containers are typically formed from paperboardor pressed or molded fiber, although alternate embodiments may includecontainers formed from a variety of other compostable or otherwiseeasily biodegradable materials. Suitable materials include, for example,microwave susceptor laminated paperboard, dual ovenable coated orlaminated paperboard, acrylic release coated paperboard, and polymerextrusion coated paperboard. Indeed, although the packaging industry hasbeen moving towards biodegradable materials, the food storage traysdisclosed herein could be formed of conventional plastics. Moreover,although the storage trays are particularly useful for holding foodproducts, they may be utilized in other contexts.

The processes for forming food tray containers as disclosed hereininclude various forms of wet press molding of fibrous material. “Wetpress” involves a starting slurry of about 95% water and 5% fibrousmatter and chemicals. A dip mold having the final shape of the containeris dipped into the slurry from above. The dip mold has a mesh orotherwise porous surface through which a suction is pulled to apply anegative pressure to the slurry. The fibrous matter is thus sucked ontothe bottom of the dip mold and confirms to its contours. Subsequently,while maintaining the suction, the dip mold is translated over a coldpress which has the shape of the dip mold but in a mirror image toconform thereto. Bringing the dip mold and cold press together flattensthe fibrous material therebetween and presses out most of the remainingwater. Subsequently, the molded fibrous material is dried further, oftenwith heat, until the final container results. When done properly, theresulting container is a highly compressed fibre that has “great hand,”meaning that the fibre is compressed to the point of looking likeplastic, and has a sheen. The wet press process is used for manyproducts formed from fibrous often recycled materials, including eggscartons and wine bottle shipping pallets, for example. It should beunderstood that the wet press process cannot create intricate moldedshapes, as with other molding processes such as injection or spinmolding.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above of an exemplary rectangular foodtray container 20 of the present application, and FIG. 2 is aperspective view of the food tray container from below. As mentioned,the container 20 may have a relatively shallow configuration with agenerally horizontal floor 22 and peripheral sidewalls 24 leading to asurrounding lip 26. In most embodiments, reinforcing ribs 28 are moldedin various patterns across the floor 22 and of the sidewalls 24 forstiffness. The container 20 is shown with two hot dogs or sausages 30placed therein for context.

The container 20 as a rectangular configuration with a length dimensionperpendicular to a shorter width dimension. The floor 22 being generallyhorizontal defines a vertical axis, or up and down within the tray. Agenerally rectangular cavity is thus formed within the sidewalls 24 andbelow the surrounding lip 26.

With reference to the underside of the container 20, a plurality ofoutwardly projecting lugs 32 are provided in each of the sidewalls 24that serve to maintain an axial distance between a series of stackedcontainers 20. In the illustrated embodiment, there are two spaced apartlugs 32 provided on each of the four sidewalls 24

FIGS. 3A and 3B are top and bottom plan views, respectively, of therectangular food tray container 20, with FIG. 3B indicating exemplarydimensions. In particular, the container 20 has a length L and a widthW. The lugs 32 are desirably symmetric across the perpendicular majorplanes of the container 20. That is, there are two lugs 32 on each ofthe long sidewalls 24 across from two lugs at the same locations on theopposite long sidewall, and two lugs 32 on each of the short sidewalls24 across from two lugs at the same locations on the opposite long shortsidewall. Each of the lugs 32 is shown spaced a distance A or B from thenearest corner of the container 20, depending on whether it is on a longor short sidewall 24. It should be noted that the “corners” in thissense means projections from the adjacent perpendicular sides, as theactual corners are rounded per convention. The length L and width Wdimensions may vary, with one example being L=8.82 in and W=6.33 in.

The spacing distances A or B from the nearest corner may also vary, butin one embodiment are A=1.90 in and B=1.40 in. Another way to quantifythese dimensions is that the two lugs 32 are no less than ⅕ of the totaldimension of the respective sidewall from the corner, and no greaterthan ⅓ from the corner, or 0.2L<A<0.33L and 0.2B<B<0.33W.

FIG. 3B also indicates a width w of one of the lugs 32 on a sidewall 24.Each lug 32 has a width w of at least 0.2 inches, such as between about0.2-0.5 inches, primarily due to the process of formation, wet pressing,described below. That is, wet pressing cannot create narrow ribs, butinstead is only capable of forming wider depressions and bumps of aminimum width. Though the lugs 32 could be wider than 0.5 inches, suchas up to 1.0 inches, they are preferably 0.5 inches or less.

It should be understood that although two lugs 32 are consideredadequate and preferable for even stacking of the containers 20, a singlelug 32 at the center of each sidewall may also be utilized, or more thantwo lugs may be provided per side. Moreover, the peripheral shape of thecontainer may dictate the number of lugs. For example, if the containeris circular, as opposed to rectilinear, there should be at least threeof the lugs to provide a tripod of sorts for one container to nestwithin another while maintaining the desirable axial spacing. Likewise,if the container is triangular and peripheral shape, three lugs may besuitable, or two on each side of the triangle for a total of six. Insummary, there are desirably at least three lugs for each containregardless of shape, and for rectilinear or otherwise polygonalperipheral shapes, there may be at least one lug per side. However, ahexagonal container might have six lugs, one per side, or it may beadequate to have just one lug on each of three sides, in an alternatingpattern of one lug on first, third, and fifth sides.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view through the center of the food tray container20 across a width dimension, taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3A, and FIG.4A is an enlargement of one sidewall thereof, while FIG. 5 is asectional view through the center of the food tray container across alength dimension, taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3B, and FIG. 5A is anenlargement of one sidewall thereof. The surrounding lip 26 is desirablymolded to have a somewhat serpentine configuration in cross-section toprovide stiffness and also present a prominent feature to grab andmanipulate the container 20. In particular, FIG. 4A shows that, from outto in, the lip 26 includes an outer generally horizontal flange 40contiguous with a somewhat semi-circular upward bend 42 whichtransitions downward to a right-angle curve 44. The curve 44 leads to aninwardly-directed ledge 46 and then a rounded corner 48 just beforedropping down into the container along the angled sidewall 24. Theupward bend 42 provides a convenient location to wish to attach atransparent plastic wrap for enclosing the contents of the container 20.The horizontal flange 40 provides a convenient location enablinggrasping separating nested trays from each other.

With reference in particular to FIG. 5A, the lugs 32 are solid andthicker than the nominal thickness dimension of the rest of the traycontainer 20. In one embodiment, the tray container 20 comprises amolded quantity of material (e.g., fiber) resulting in a nominalthickness of between about 0.6 mm to 0.7 mm. The thickness t of each ofthe lugs 32, on the other hand, is between about 3-5 times the nominalwall thickness of the container 20. In one example, for a nominalcontainer wall thickness of 0.7 mm, the thickness t of each of the lugs32 is 3.0 mm. Stated in a more generic way to accommodateinwardly-directed lugs, each lug is thicker from a projecting surface toa base surface on an opposite face of the sidewall than the nominal wallthickness of the container 20. In the embodiment of FIG. 5A, theprojecting surface is outward while the base surface is on the inside ofthe sidewall 24, and t shows the thickness.

Importantly, each of the lugs 32 only projects outward from therespective sidewall 24. That is, the inner surface of the sidewall 24seen in FIG. 5A has a flat or planar configuration, while the outersurface of the lugs 32 is rounded, somewhat teardrop shaped (meaning themass of the lugs is weighted toward a lower end so that there is a moreabrupt curvature joined to the adjacent portion of the sidewall at thelower end versus the upper end which has a very gentle curvature).Because the lugs 32 are symmetrically located on each of the containers20, when a first container is stacked within a second container theouter surface of each of the lugs 32 of the first container contacts theplanar inner surface of the corresponding sidewall on the secondcontainer into which it is nested. This prevents the first containerfrom settling all the way down into the second container, resulting in apreferred axial spacing.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a plurality of food tray containers 20across a length dimension stacked and nested. FIG. 6A is an enlargementof the stacked sidewalls thereof, showing adjacent lips 26, and inparticular adjacent horizontal flanges 40 separated by an axial space S.The axial spacing S is created by contact between the lugs 32 of eachcontainer with the inner surface of the corresponding sidewall on thenext adjacent container below, as shown. The particular magnitude of theaxial spacing S may vary depending on needs of the food producer orhandler, but is preferably between about 5-6 mm. The magnitude of theaxial spacing S depends on several factors, most notably the thickness tof each of the lugs 32, but also the angle of the sidewall 24.

With reference back to FIG. 5A, a so-called draft angle θ is shown forthe sidewalls 24 on both the long and short sides of the container 20.Because the shape of the sidewalls 24 is identical around the entirecontainer, the draft angles θ and lugs 32 on all four sides are alsoidentical. In one embodiment, the draft angle θ is between about 30-35°.To ensure one particular axial spacing S of 5 mm, the draft angle θ is35° and the thickness t of each lug 32 is 2.5 mm.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view from above of an alternative rectangularfood tray container 50 of the present application, and FIG. 8 is aperspective view of the food tray container from below. As with thefirst described food tray container 20, the alternative container 50 hasa rectangular configuration with a length dimension and a shorter widthdimension. The container 50 has a floor with a central flat portion 52surrounded by a plurality of longitudinal troughs 54. Two opposed longdimension sidewalls 56 lead upward to peripheral lips 58, while twoopposed short dimension sidewalls 60 lead upward to peripheral lips 62.As with the first container, the peripheral lips 58, 62 continuouslysurround and define an upper extent of a food-containing cavity withinthe container 50, and are joined at rounded corners. The longitudinaltroughs 54 comprise semi-cylindrical molded shapes for receiving fooditems, such as sausages or hotdogs as shown. The troughs 54 extend thelength of the container 50, except as interrupted by the central flatportion 52 which provides a convenient location for applying an externallabel to the bottom of the container.

The sidewalls 56, 60 of the container 50 once again featureoutwardly-directed lugs 64, 66 to ensure a minimum axial spacing betweenadjacent containers when they are stacked or nested. In contrast to thefirst embodiment, the long sidewalls 56 and short sidewall 60 are notidentically-configured so that the lugs 64, 66 are also not the same.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are top and bottom plan views, respectively, of thealternative rectangular food tray container 50. Although not shown, thenominal wall thickness and rectangular dimensions of the container 50may be the same as described above for the first container 20, and thuswill not be repeated.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view through the center of the alternative foodtray container 50 across a width dimension, taken along line 10-10 ofFIG. 9A, and FIG. 11 is a sectional view through the center of thealternative food tray container across a length dimension, taken alongline 11-11 of FIG. 9B. The configuration of the semi-cylindrical troughs54 are seen in FIG. 10 , which also shows the long sidewalls 56extending upward generally at a constant angle to the upper lips 58.FIG. 11 , on the other hand, shows a stepped configuration for the shortsidewalls 60 leading upward to the upper lips 62. This illustrates theconcept that the various sidewalls around the containers as describedherein may be the same or different.

FIG. 10A is an enlargement of one long sidewall 56 of the container 50.As with the earlier embodiment, an inner surface of the sidewall 56 isrelatively flat and uninterrupted, while the lugs 64 project outward insolid bulges, which are somewhat teardrop shaped in section (again, themass of the lugs is weighted toward a lower end). The thickness t₁ ofthe lugs 64 at an angle perpendicular to the inner surface of thesidewall 56 is desirable between about 3-5 times the nominal wallthickness of the remainder of the sidewalls, and for that matter for theremainder of the container 50. Specific ranges and exemplary dimensionsprovided above for the first exemplary container 20 may be utilized andtherefore will not be repeated here. A sidewall draft angle a is shownand may also be as described above for the first embodiment.

The upper lip 58 once again has a somewhat serpentine configuration withan outward horizontal flange 70 contiguous with a somewhat semi-circularupward bend 72 which transitions downward to a right-angle curve 74. Thecurve 74 leads to an inwardly-directed ledge and then a rounded cornerjust before dropping down into the container along the angled sidewall56. Again, this configuration provides stiffness and an outer handle formanipulating the container 50, much like that described above.

FIG. 11A is an enlargement of one short sidewall 60 illustrating theindented or stepped nature at the lugs 66 in contrast to the constantcross-section of the long sidewall 56 in FIG. 10A. In particular, ashort upward step 80 is provided between the floor troughs 54 and theupwardly and outwardly angled sidewall 60 so as to create intermediateledges 82 therebetween. The short sidewalls 60 have draft angles β whichmay be the same as or different than the draft angle a of the longsidewalls 56. The draft angles β are desirably within a range asdescribed above for the sidewalls 24 of the first container 20.

Each short sidewall 60 has two outwardly directed lugs 66 that projectoutward from the angled inner surface of the sidewall 60. Moreparticularly, each lug 66 has a thickness t₂ that is greater than thenominal wall thickness of the surrounding portions of the sidewall 60,and for that matter than the wall thickness of the rest of the container(except for the other lugs 64). The thickness t₂ of each lug 66 may bethe same as or different than the thickness t₁ of the lugs 64. In oneembodiment, the draft angles β of the short sidewalls 60 are the same asthe draft angle a of the long sidewalls 56, and the thicknesses are thesame (t₁=t₂).

The lugs 66 that project outward from the short sidewalls 60 as seen incross-section in FIG. 11A are constructed slightly differently than thelugs 64 on the long sidewalls 56, which are seen in FIG. 10A. That is,the stepped wall shape with the intermediate ledges 82 are only presentat the location of the lugs 66, such that the lugs may be seen from theinside of the container 50, as in FIG. 7 . In other words, the lugs haveboth an internal concavity and an external convexity. Despite this, thelugs 66 are not simply outward bows in the sidewalls 60 due to theincreased thickness t₂ that is greater than the nominal wall thicknessof the surrounding portions of the sidewall 60. The increased thicknesst₂ helps create the spacing S between adjacent containers 50 whenstacked, along with the wholly outwardly convex lugs 64 on the longsidewalls 56. In other words, the lugs may be wholly outwardlyprojecting or a combination of outwardly projecting and inwardlyrecessed. The spacing S between adjacent containers 50 is a result ofone type of lug or a combination of both.

A generally linear relationship exists between the draft angles and thethicknesses of the various lugs to ensure a predetermined axial spacingbetween nested containers 50. That is, due to the innate geometry,steeper sidewalls/greater draft angles require thicker lugs to result inthe same axial spacing as center lugs on shallower sidewalls/lesserdraft angles. Therefore, for example, if the draft angle a of the longsidewalls 56 is less than the draft angles β of the short sidewalls 60,then the thickness t₁ of the lugs 64 is necessarily less than thethickness t₂ of each lug 66 so as to result in equal contact between thelugs 64, 66 and the adjacent containers 50. A variety of permutationsare contemplated.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a plurality of alternative food traycontainers 50 across a length dimension stacked and nested, and FIG. 12Ais an enlargement of the stacked short sidewall 60 thereof. Likewise,FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a plurality of alternative food traycontainers 50 across a width dimension stacked and nested, and FIG. 13Ais an enlargement of the stacked long sidewalls 56 thereof. Contactbetween the respective lugs 64, 66 and the inner surface of the sidewall56, 60 there below is shown. As explained above, the configuration ofthe sidewalls and lugs are such that the resulting spacing S remainsconstant around the container 50. Once again, the spacing S may varydepending on need, and exemplary ranges are provided above for the firstcontainer 20.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view from above of a still further alternativerectangular food tray container 90 of the present application, and FIG.15 is a perspective view of the food tray container from below. In mostrespects, the alternative container 90 is constructed the same as thecontainer 50, and the description of above of common features applies.The difference is in placement of lugs 92 on the short sidewalls 94.That is, the lugs 92, which are both outwardly projecting and inwardlyrecessed as with the lugs 66 described earlier, are located lower downon the sidewalls 94, closer to the floor of the container. Indeed, thelugs 92 form a part of the floor. A comparison between FIGS. 7 and 14shows this difference. The placement of the outward lugs 96 on thelonger sidewalls 98 remain the same as the lugs 64 on the container 50.The lugs 96 are wholly outwardly projecting as well.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view through the center of a further alternativefood tray container 20′ across a length dimension, and FIG. 16A is asectional view of a plurality of the alternative food tray containersstacked and nested. In this version, the container 20′ has a pluralityof inwardly projecting lugs 32′ in each of the sidewalls 24 that serveto maintain an axial distance between a series of the stackedcontainers. The number and spacing of the inwardly projecting lugs 32′may be as described above for the earlier embodiments. For instance, thethickness relative to the remainder of the sidewall thickness, andabsolute values, are the same, and each lug 32′ is somewhat teardropshaped in section. The inwardly projecting lugs 32′ serve the samepurpose as the outwardly projecting lugs 32—to provide spacing S betweenthe stacked containers 20′, as shown in FIG. 16A. In this embodiment,the each lug is thicker from a projecting surface (inner extend of lugs32′) to a base surface on an opposite face of the sidewall (exterior ofsidewall 24).

The innovative wet press molded containers are especially useful anddesirable because of the spacing lugs as claimed; in particular the lugsare shaped as a rounded bulge and have a thickness (t) of between 3-5times the nominal wall thickness of the container sidewalls. Because thesidewalls angle outward and upward to a surrounding upper lip, the lugthickness ensures that a minimum axial spacing is provided betweenadjacent stacked containers without being over-large which would reducestacking efficiency. Conventional molded lugs are formed by pushing thesidewall with a mold to create a pushed out lug, but that results in anesting of two adjacent container and no spacing. The “filled” lugs asclaimed in the present application prevents this nesting so parts have aprescribed gap, and distance between the parts remain constant. Thedenesting lugs need to be the prescribed depth to remain effective,which is to say that the depth of the compressed fibre lugs needs to bepronounced to have a certain amount of contact with the bottom part toremain effective and produce the needed axial spacing between adjacentstacked containers.

Unless otherwise indicated or the context suggests otherwise, as usedherein, “a” or “an” means “at least one” or “one or more.”

Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, any specific dimensions mentionedin this description are merely representative of an exemplaryimplementation of a device embodying aspects of the invention and arenot intended to be limiting.

While the present invention has been described and shown in considerabledetail with reference to certain illustrative embodiments, includingvarious combinations and sub-combinations of features, those skilled inthe art will readily appreciate other embodiments and variations andmodifications thereof as encompassed within the scope of the presentinvention. Moreover, the descriptions of such embodiments, combinations,and sub-combinations is not intended to convey that the inventionrequires features or combinations of features other than those expresslyrecited in the claims. Accordingly, the present invention is deemed toinclude all modifications and variations encompassed within the spiritand scope of the following appended claims.

1. A food container system, including: a wet press molded container ofsolid continuous construction of fibrous material, the container havinga floor and contiguous upstanding sidewalls angling outward at draftangles and upward to an upper lip, wherein the container is rectangularand has four sidewalls each having at least one lug that projects in orout from an adjacent portion of the respective sidewall and has a lugthickness greater from a projecting surface to a base surface on anopposite face of the sidewall than a nominal wall thickness of theadjacent portion of the respective sidewall, the floor and sidewallssurrounding an inner cavity below the upper lip adapted to receive food,wherein each lug has a lateral width of at least 0.2 inches and no morethan 1 inch and each lug is teardrop shaped with a mass weighted towarda lower end, wherein a first molded container may be stacked within asecond molded container such that the lugs on the first containercontact the inner surface of the second container at the location of thelugs on the second container and maintain a predetermined axial spacingbetween the first and second containers.
 2. The food container system ofclaim 1, wherein each of the sidewalls has two of the lugs spaced apartcloser to adjacent corners than to each other.
 3. The food containersystem of claim 1, wherein each of the sidewalls has two of the lugsspaced apart from adjacent corners no less than ⅕ and no greater than ⅓of the total dimension of the respective sidewall from the corner. 4.The food container system of claim 1, wherein each of the sidewalls hastwo of the lugs, and wherein a first pair of identical sidewallsopposite one another has lugs with base surfaces which are contiguousand uninterrupted relative to the surface of adjacent portions of thesidewall.
 5. The food container system of claim 4, wherein all of thelugs project outward, and all have inner base surfaces which arecontiguous and uninterrupted relative to the surface of adjacentportions of the sidewall.
 6. The food container system of claim 4,wherein the draft angle of the first pair of sidewalls is different thanthe draft angle of a second pair of sidewalls identical sidewallsopposite one another, and the lug thickness of the lugs in the firstpair of sidewalls is different than the lug thickness of the lugs in thesecond pair of sidewalls.
 7. The food container system of claim 1,wherein the nominal wall thickness of the sidewalls is between 0.6 mmand 0.7 mm.
 8. The food container system of claim 1, wherein each lughas a lateral width of between 0.2-0.5 inches.
 9. The food containersystem of claim 1, wherein the container floor defines a plurality oflongitudinal troughs therein shaped to cradle cylindrical food items.10. The food container system of claim 1, wherein at least some of thelugs form a part of the floor.
 11. A food container system, including: awet press molded container of solid continuous construction of fibrousmaterial, the container having a floor and contiguous upstandingsidewalls angling outward at draft angles and upward to an upper lip,wherein the sidewalls have a plurality of spaced-apart lugs each ofwhich projects in or out from an adjacent portion of the respectivesidewall and has a lug thickness greater from a projecting surface to abase surface on an opposite face of the sidewall than a nominal wallthickness of the adjacent portion of the respective sidewall, the floorand sidewalls surrounding an inner cavity below the upper lip adapted toreceive food, each lug being a rounded bulge having a thickness (t) ofbetween 3-5 times the nominal wall thickness of the sidewalls and alateral width of at least 0.2 inches and no more than 1 inch, wherein afirst molded container may be stacked within a second molded containersuch that the lugs on the first container contact the inner surface ofthe second container at the location of the lugs on the second containerand maintain a predetermined axial spacing between the first and secondcontainers.
 12. The food container system of claim 11, wherein thecontainer is rectangular and has four sidewalls, and wherein each of thesidewalls has two of the lugs spaced apart closer to adjacent cornersthan to each other.
 13. The food container system of claim 11, whereinthe container is rectangular and has four sidewalls, and wherein each ofthe sidewalls has two of the lugs, and wherein a first pair of sidewallsopposite one another have lugs with inner surfaces which are contiguousand uninterrupted relative to the inner surface of adjacent portions ofthe sidewall.
 14. The food container system of claim 13, wherein asecond pair of sidewalls opposite one another have lugs with innersurfaces which are indented or stepped relative to the inner surface ofadjacent portions of the sidewall.
 15. The food container system ofclaim 11, wherein the container is rectangular and has four sidewalls,and wherein each of the sidewalls has two of the lugs, and wherein thedraft angle of the first pair of sidewalls is different than the draftangle of a second pair of sidewalls identical sidewalls opposite oneanother, and the lug thickness of the lugs in the first pair ofsidewalls is different than the lug thickness of the lugs in the secondpair of sidewalls.
 16. The food container system of claim 11, whereinall of the lugs project outward, and all have inner base surfaces whichare contiguous and uninterrupted relative to the surface of adjacentportions of the sidewall.
 17. The food container system of claim 16,wherein the nominal wall thickness of the sidewalls is between 0.6 mmand 0.7 mm.
 18. The food container system of claim 16, wherein each lughas a lateral width of between 0.2-0.5 inches.
 19. The food containersystem of claim 11, wherein the container floor defines a plurality oflongitudinal troughs therein shaped to cradle cylindrical food items.20. The food container system of claim 11, wherein at least some of thelugs form a part of the floor, and at least some of the lugs are locatedalong a corresponding sidewall vertically spaced from an associatedupper lip portion.